Cables, cords, wires, ropes, air hoses, and other elongate flexible items, collectively referred to herein as “cables,” are prone to entanglement with other objects, people and each other. This presents a particular problem in packaging such cables for sale and, more generally, for storage of such cables. This problem has been addressed in the art in a number of different ways, including winding the cable up and then using fasteners such as plastic ties or VELCRO® (fabric hook and loop fasteners) to secure the cable. The cable is then released by untying or cutting or otherwise loosening the fasteners. The problem with such approaches is that it does not provide a satisfactory way to secure the cable, for example, during periods of nonuse. Typically, ties must be cut to release the cable, and thus are not reusable. In some instances, fasteners such as ties or VELCRO® are reusable. However, in many instances such reusable fasteners are unsatisfactory because the process of reusing them is laborious. Further, many conventional fasteners, whether they are reusable or not, do not provide sufficient structure to prevent twisting of the cables. In some instances, a sufficient number of fasteners are used to prevent a cable from twisting, but such approaches have the drawback of being cumbersome and laborious.
Given the above background, what is needed in the art are improved devices for securing cables.